Rumors have been circulating all day (and last night) that the city was about to announce a settlement in the Beachwood case following its closed door meeting Thursday night. I called city hall this morning, asking to be copied when the city issued its press release.

Instead, the city decided to announce its decision to "authorize a settlement" by posting a note on its bulletin board, located in the City Hall parking lot. A note was put on its website at 3:10 this afternoon. The announcement reads in full:

March 28, 2008

City Council authorizes settlement of Yamagiwa case

As we have reported, the city and Ms. Yamagiwa have been in active settlement discussions. Last night, the City Council authorized a settlement, which remains subject to Ms. Yamagiwa’s review and approval. If and when Ms. Yamagiwa approves of the settlement, the city will make it public and will report the terms of the agreement. Until such time, the terms of the proposed settlement must remain confidential.

There are no other details.

Darin Boville publishes Montara Fog

The current dispute over the rights to recordings of public meetings goes back a couple of years. If you click on the "Video" menu at the top of the Coastsider main page you’ll see, for me, where this issue all began.

I have a strong interest in open government (my education is in public policy) and had been heavily contributing to Coastsider since about a year after I arrived here in the Fall of 2004. Initially those contributions took the form of still photographs but they quickly evolved to more elaborate projects, such as documenting each of the speakers at the 2006 Board of Supervisors LCP update hearings and writing extensive captions quoting from each speaker. You can still see the photographs in Coastsider’s new gallery area but the captions seem to have been misplaced: https://coastsider.com/gallery/index.php?album=lcphearing2_0

Then came Barry’s March 4th, 2006 post—it is the earliest entry under the video tab, on page eleven.

That was the post where Barry reported on a newsworthy event at the HMB City Council Meeting and used a clip from MCTV’s broadcast of the meeting to inform viewers about what had happened.

MCTV’s response? Their lawyer claimed copyright on the taxpayer-funded video and demanded that Coastsider remove the footage.

This was shocking.

If a citizen wanted to see that footage they would have to find out when it was playing on Channel 6 (if they hadn’t already missed it), and sit through who-knows-how-many hours of tedious meeting footage until they reached the newsworthy portion. And what if they wished to share the clip with others? Too bad—the video is broadcast only once and MCTV doesn’t maintain an archive.

That HMB City Council footage seems to no longer exist. For all practical purposes—by trying to gauge the extent to which that footage was seen by the public—that footage might as well have never existed at all.

It’s a movie and it’s a movement and it’s an evening not to miss. Please join us at the I.D.E.S. Hall (735 Main Street, Half Moon Bay) on March 31st for a special screening of the film, "Two Angry Moms," an inspiring movie that’s as much about life as it is about lunch. Two extraordinary moms skillfully channel their frustration into a positive, motivating message that’s downright infectious. Ultimately, the film is about how schools and communities together can combat the health challenges facing children today. It’s hard to imagine better timing or an area with more potential than our own backyard given its rich agricultural heritage and committed citizenry.

Early birds get first dibs on farm fresh produce which will be available at 5pm under the telltale white tents of the Coastside Farmers Market. At 6:30pm, sit back and enjoy the show which will be introduced by former Coastside resident, Chef Ann Cooper, (the Renegade Lunch Lady and current Director of the Berkeley Unified School District Food Service Program.) After the film, stay tuned for a panel discussion and Chef Ann’s signing of her latest book, Lunch Lessons. (Admission is free and childcare is available during the film.)

This event is brought to you by the generous support of the Half Moon Bay branch of the American Association of University Women and the Health and Wellness Convening which includes the following partners: CUSD Food and Nutrition Department, the Coastside Health Committee, Coastside Farmers Markets, the HEAL Project, Cunha Community Schools, Seton Coastside, Movin’ on the Coast, and the Coastside Family Medical Center.

For more information, please visit http://twoangrymoms.bravenewtheaters.com/

Questions: contact Sonja Myhre at [email protected]

Coastal Repertory Theatre will hold open auditions for "Over the River & Through the Woods" on Saturday April 12, from 1 to 3pm

"...the Philly vocalist with the soaring improvisational style. ... showcases both his Betty Carter-esque way of elasticizing a melody and his adept scat singing." -Nate Chinen, Downbeat critic
 
Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society
307 Mirada Road, Half Moon Bay, CA  94019
$30.  Tickets at the door. Reservations for members
Doors Open at 3 PM, Music from 4:30 to 7:30 PM, with intermission

Who says there’s no nightlife in Montara? The will be an open mike at Caffe Lucca, in the heart of Montara’s entertainment district, this Friday night from 7 to 9:30pm.  In April, open mikes will take place on the second and fourth Fridays, April 11 and 25.

Caffe Lucca
Hwy 1 @ 8th St.
Montara
728-5229

Supervisor Rich Gordon will be holding his regular monthly office hours Thursday at the Sheriff’s substation in Moss Beach from 10am to Noon.  Supervisor Gordon holds office hours there on the fourth Thursday of the month.

When: Fri. March 28 2008, 7:30 pm

Where: Methodist Sanctuary,  777 Miramontes, Half Moon Bay (Corner of Johnston & Miramontes)

Donation: $6.00 for adults;  $3 for kids  

Two shorts by a beloved Half Moon Bay Film Team

Short: Symphonic Meditations   (18 mins) 
The latest collaborative effort by composer George Roumanis and poet/photographer Lou Solitske, both of Half Moon Bay.  As Lou’s shots of coastside beauty transition one into another, George’s hauntingly beautiful music weaves a magical spell. World famous alto saxophonist, Dale Underwood is the featured artist of this innovative opus.

Short: Ragtime Dogs   (4 mins) 
Lou’s pictures of a wide variety of local dogs, some funny, some cute, some beautiful, but all our best friends; keep perfect time to George Roumanis’s bouncy ragtime rhythms. If you love dogs, you’ll love this fun filled video.

Feature : A Seal’s Life   (46 mins) 
For hundreds of thousands of years an extraordinary journey has taken place in the sea.  Twice a year along the west coast of North America, elephant seals set out alone on a nearly impossible round trip migration across vast expanses of the North Pacific.  For months they remain at sea, swimming thousands of miles while diving relentlessly to unimaginable depths in search of food.  By journey’s end they’ll have traveled farther in a year than any other mammal on Earth.

From the rugged, wave-swept shorelines of Northern California to the cold dark depths of the North Pacific, this is the incredible story of one of the greatest migratory marine mammals ever to inhabit the sea, a remarkable creature living a life of extremes and their species never-ending struggle for survival.

Come enjoy this great film with Drew Wharton, the Santa Cruz-based filmmaker behind this project and ask him questions about the two years he spent filming, writing, directing and producing this wonderful documentary.  Chances are you will recognize many of the places he shot at including our own Año Nuevo State Reserve, Farallon Islands, and Point Reyes National Seashore.

(Warning - If you have been to Año Nuevo during breeding season you know that the short battles between bulls over females can be quite intense, and that a pup’s first day in the water can be risky. Young kids may find these scenes too intense - otherwise these are all films kids will love as much as adults.)

Please note—The Film Society is raising money to bring filmmaker Drew Wharton to Half Moon Bay though sales of A Seal’s Life DVDs. They need to sell 25 DVDs at the discount price of $15.00 to break even.  If you can’t make it to the screening, but want a DVD, send the Film Society email at "[email protected]" and they will arrange to get you a DVD.

Video preview of A Seal’s Life available at: www.whartonmedia.com

More info at: http://www.hmbfilm.org

Join us at Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana - where all the ladies who are "anybody" get their hair done - for a play that has become an American classic.  Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s rich curmudgeon, Ouiser ("I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for forty years."), an eccentric millionaire with a raging sweet tooth, Miss Clairee, and the local social leader M’Lynn, whose daughter Shelby is about to get married to a "good ole boy".  Billed as the "funniest show to ever make you cry", this lovely exploration of friendship is rated G. Box office: (650) 569-3266

Curtain times: Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m.  Sun. 2 p.m.
Ticket prices: $15 - $30

Coastal Repertory Theatre
1167 Main Street
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Join Coastside Land Trust for native habitat restoration, Saturday, March 29 at Francis Beach, Half Moon Bay 12:30 to 3 pm. After an introduction to native plant habitat by a biologist, you will spend a couple of hours removing non-native plants and restoring native habitat at the Trust’s open space adjacent to Francis Beach.

Check in at the Francis Beach parking lot kiosk (at the end of Kelly Ave.) for directions to the work site. Parking is free for volunteers. Refreshments provided. All ages welcome.